1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a robust cable connector configured in accordance with a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) standard.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information
Today, computers are routinely used both at work and in the home. Computers advantageously enable file sharing, the creation of electronic documents, the use of application specific software, and electronic commerce through the Internet and other computer networks. Typically, each computer has a storage peripheral. For example, the most common type of storage peripheral is a rotating media storage device (RMSD), such as a disk drive (e.g. a hard disk drive). However, other types of storage peripherals such as solid-state disk drive emulators utilizing flash memory are becoming increasingly common.
Disk drives are typically connected to a host computer through a host interface connector for the transfer of commands, status and data. The host computer accesses the disk drive and reads data from the disk drive and/or saves data to the disk drive. The disk drive is typically connected to the host computer via a cable and a cable connector that connects to a PCB connector of the disk drive. For compatibility, the connectors and interface protocol are standardized. Accordingly, the cable, cable connector, and PCB connector must comply with the same interface standard. There are several disk drive interface standards, e.g., Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) that have become common in the last decade.
However, disk drives are now being designed to comply with a newer standard, generally referred to as the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) standard, which is the standard presently favored for newer computers. The SATA standard is being promulgated by the Serial ATA Working Group and is specifically referred to as the Serial ATA: High Speed Serialized AT Attachment specification or Serial ATA standard 1.0. The SATA specification defines various general standards for SATA compliant cable connectors, SATA compliant cables, and SATA compliant PCB connectors that mount to a printed circuit board (PCB).
The SATA PCB connector defined in the SATA specification basically specifies an insulated housing, a first blade connector for supporting an electrical contact arrangement configured for data signals, a second blade connector for supporting an electrical contact arrangement configured for power signals, and two board locks fixed to the housing for attaching the PCB connector to a PCB. Further, the SATA PCB connector defined in the SATA specification sets forth that the housing includes a pair of opposed guide slots in each one of two opposite side walls of the housing that define a cable connector receiving area The pair of opposed guide slots aid in guiding cable and back-plane connectors to mate with a blade connector.
Unfortunately, the blade connectors specified by the SATA standard are prone to mechanical failure when utilizing presently manufactured SATA compliant cable connectors and PCB connectors. Oftentimes, the blade connector of a SATA PCB connector breaks when a SATA cable connector is mated to it. This is because mating SATA cable connectors are not suitably constrained by the housing of the SATA PCB connector. Furthermore, the respective electrical contact arrangements for power and data signals, as specified by the SATA standard, may not adequately ensure that electrostatic discharge (ESD) will be consistently discharged with the first mate ground contact.
The present invention relates to a robust cable connector configured in accordance with a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) standard.
In one aspect, the invention may be regarded as a cable connector having a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and configured to mate with a first blade connector having a second electrical contact arrangement also in accordance with the SATA standard. The cable connector includes a first blade-receiving portion for enclosing the first electrical contact arrangement, a housing for supporting the first blade-receiving portion and the first electrical contact arrangement, and at least one guide arm being integrally formed with the housing. The housing has a cable entrance end and a mating end. Further, the guide arm projects from the mating end of the housing and is disposed outside of and is separate from the first blade-receiving portion.
In one embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, the first blade-receiving portion may be integrally molded with the housing.
In a more detailed embodiment, the guide arm may include a conductive contact. For example, the conductive contact may comprise a grounding clip. In other embodiments, the housing and the guide arm may be made from a conductive plastic material. Further, the guide arm may be approximately rectangularly shaped. Additionally, the SATA standard may be a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) standard.
In another aspect, the invention may be regarded as a cable connector having a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and configured to mate with a first blade connector having a second electrical contact arrangement also in accordance with the SATA standard. The cable connector includes a first blade-receiving portion for enclosing the first electrical contact arrangement, a housing for supporting the first blade-receiving portion and the first electrical contact arrangement, and a pair of laterally-opposed guide arms being integrally formed with the housing. The housing has a cable entrance end and a mating end. Further, the guide arms project from the mating end of the housing and are disposed outside of and are separate from the first blade-receiving portion.
In one embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, the first blade-receiving portion may be integrally molded with the housing.
In a more detailed embodiment, the housing may include a connector-support gap for receiving a second blade-receiving portion. The second blade-receiving portion may support a third electrical contact arrangement to mate with a second blade connector having a fourth electrical contact arrangement in accordance with the SATA standard. For example, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard and the third electrical contact arrangement may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, both the first and second blade-receiving portions may be integrally molded with the housing.
In yet a more detailed embodiment, at least one of the guide arms may include a conductive contact. For example, the conductive contact may comprise a grounding clip. In other embodiments, the housing and the guide arms may be made from a conductive plastic material. Further, the guide arms may be approximately rectangularly shaped or approximately oval shaped. Also, the guide arms may be differently sized. Additionally, the SATA standard may be a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) standard.
In a further aspect, the invention may be regarded as a cable connector having a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and configured to mate with a first blade connector having a second electrical contact arrangement also in accordance with the SATA standard, in which, the cable connector includes a first blade-receiving portion for enclosing the first electrical contact arrangement, a housing for supporting the first blade-receiving portion and the first electrical contact arrangement, a connector-support gap formed in the housing for receiving a second blade-receiving portion, and a pair of laterally-opposed guide arms being integrally formed with the housing. The housing has a cable entrance end and a mating end. Further, the guide arms project from the mating end of the housing and are disposed outside of and are separate from the first blade-receiving portion.
In one embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Further, in one embodiment, the first blade-receiving portion may be integrally molded with the housing.
In yet a more detailed embodiment, at least one of the guide arms may include a conductive contact. For example, the conductive contact may comprise a grounding clip. In other embodiments, the housing and the guide arms may be made from a conductive plastic material. Further, the guide arms may be approximately rectangularly shaped or approximately oval shaped. Also, the guide arms may be differently sized. Additionally, the SATA standard may be a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) standard.
In an additional aspect, the invention may be regarded as a cable assembly having a cable connector including a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and configured to mate with a second electrical contact arrangement in accordance with the SATA standard. The cable assembly includes a first blade-receiving portion for enclosing the first electrical contact arrangement, a housing for supporting the first blade-receiving portion and the first electrical contact arrangement, at least one guide arm being integrally formed with the housing, and a first shielded cable having a first plurality of conductors configured in accordance with the SATA standard and connected to the first electrical contact arrangement. The housing has a cable entrance and a mating end. The guide arm projects from the mating end of the housing and is disposed outside of and is separate from the blade-receiving portion.
In one embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement and the connected first plurality of conductors may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement and the connected first plurality of conductors may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, the first blade-receiving portion may be integrally molded with the housing.
In a more detailed embodiment, the guide arm may include a conductive contact coupled to a conductor of the first shielded cable. For example, the conductive contact may comprise a grounding clip. In other embodiments, the housing and the guide arm may be made from a conductive plastic material. Further, the guide arm may be approximately rectangularly shaped. Additionally, the SATA standard may be a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) standard.
In yet another aspect, the invention may be regarded as a cable assembly having a cable connector including a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and configured to mate with a second electrical contact arrangement in accordance with the SATA standard. The cable assembly includes a first blade-receiving portion for enclosing the first electrical contact arrangement, a housing for supporting the first blade-receiving portion and the first electrical contact arrangement, a pair of laterally-opposed guide arms being integrally formed with the housing, and a first shielded cable having a first plurality of conductors configured in accordance with the SATA standard and connected to the first electrical contact arrangement. The housing has a cable entrance and a mating end. The guide arms project from the mating end of the housing and are disposed outside of and are separate from the blade-receiving portion.
In one embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement and the connected first plurality of conductors may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first electrical contact arrangement and the connected first plurality of conductors may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, the first blade-receiving portion may be integrally molded with the housing.
In a more detailed embodiment, the housing may include a connector-support gap for receiving a second blade-receiving portion. The second blade-receiving portion may support a third electrical contact arrangement to mate with a second blade connector having a fourth electrical contact arrangement in accordance with the SATA standard. Further, a second shielded cable having a second plurality of conductors in accordance with the SATA standard may be connected to the third electrical contact arrangement of the second blade-receiving portion. For example, the first electrical contact arrangement and the first plurality of conductors of the first shielded cable may be configured for data signals in accordance with the SATA standard and the third electrical contact arrangement and the second plurality of conductors of the second shielded cable may be configured for power signals in accordance with the SATA standard. In one embodiment, both the first and second blade-receiving portions may be integrally molded with the housing.
In yet a more detailed embodiment, at least one of the guide arms may include a conductive contact coupled to a conductor of the first shielded cable. For example, the conductive contact may comprise a grounding clip. In one embodiment, each guide arm includes a conductive contact wherein one of the conductive contacts is coupled to a ground conductor of the first plurality of conductors of the first shielded cable and the other one of the conductive contacts is coupled to a ground conductor of the second plurality of conductors of the second shielded cable. In other embodiments, the housing and the guide arms may be made from a conductive plastic material. Further, the guide arms may be approximately rectangularly shaped or approximately oval shaped. Also, the guide arms may be differently sized. Additionally, the SATA standard may be a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) standard.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are described in detail below and set forth in the appended claims.